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| Photo courtesy of InPlay Events. |
Microbrews seem to be all the rage, especially in Milwaukee. So much so, they’ve now added a craft beer sampling to the Milwaukee Wine Fest.
New this year (and only in Milwaukee), 20 vendors will be onsite sampling several different varieties of craft beer. But let’s get back to the wine, oh so much glorious wine! There will be more than 270 wines from around the world and you can taste it all, if you can handle it. Good luck.
The best part of this fest (which I have attended since its inception), is that I have yet to encounter any wine snobs there. “This is a great venue to test out what you like and get acquainted with the world of wine since there are so many different varieties,” says Matt Minella of InPlay events. “Even if you don’t know what you like, the pourers are very knowledgeable.”
Attendees will have the opportunity to purchase wines they like directly onsite at a discount from Sendik’s, the official retail partner of the fest.
What’s wine without the food? Like Angelina and Brad, few marriages are as significant. Luckily, Milwaukee’s finest restaurants will be on hand to feed you. Cooking demos with Chef Robert Ash of Marcus Hotels will provide inspiration and live music from D.C.-based band Lloyd Dobbler Effect will set the mood (who’s with me on the John Cusak reference? Awesome). “There will also be seminars for people who want to get a little geeky, in a relaxed environment,” says Marc Goodman, director of wine, spirits, beer cheese and deli at Sendik’s.
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| Photo courtesy of InPlay Events. |
This is the fourth year of the event and each year around 5,000 people flock to the art museum lawn to sip and sample, though the weather seems to dictate the crowd size more than anything. And although the event travels to other cities, including downtown Chicago and Naperville, Ill., the Milwaukee Wine Fest still attracts plenty of Chicago-land people. “It’s an amazing event for the city. It’s a world class event and food and wine is such a big trend,” says Goodman. “We love our outdoor festivals here in Milwaukee and it’s such a perfect fit being right at the Lakefront in front of the Calatrava. Sendik’s is proud to be the official retail partner again.”
One more attraction – Lincoln motors will be on site with an interactive pod to simulate a driving experience. Be sure to try this before you’ve sampled a bunch of wine.
Tickets range from $27-50 depending if you want the wine and beer tasting or just one or the other. There is also a $10 designated driver ticket. The festival takes place rain or shine on Friday 4-10 p.m. and Saturday 3-9 p.m. Click here for tickets.
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